MDBenson

What would make this module really cool would be if you teamed up with sumghai and scaled his service module setup to it. Also might need a beefed up LES tower?

This is working great for me so far, I've built some really great rockets with it with very few problems. Updating to 0.8.1 to test Real Fuels integration.

It never seemed too hard but I also never managed to pull it off. Of course I was trying in 0.21 back before Procedural Fairings and such. I almost had something that worked using NovaPunch parts but it was vulnerable to Kraken attacks Do you have any .craft files for the proof of concepts? I'd like to see what kind of designs you have and see if I can develop them using Procedural parts and AIES (my favorite parts packs aside from PF). That;'s if you don't mind, of course

I'm glad someone is finally doing this. I tried to get a project rolling for this a while back but for whatever reason it was stopped. We just need someone to make the lander (the complicated bit ) now!

I have been using this for a week now and build half a dozen rockets with it and I gotta say you've done an awesome job. I love the use of tweakables for the sizing and the way you've added the various levels of granularity to the sizing. The variety of shapes also makes it easier to attach various sizes and shapes of engines, pods, fairings etc. I've had some issues with stuff not attaching in the right place after reloading a .craft file or moving to the launch pad, might be related to other issue (below). Also sometimes when I edit a part the tweakables have no visible effect. Saving and reloading results in the shapes being what I edited them to, and the tweakables work okay, but then the attachment nodes are messed up when you reload. Great work so far, though. I've been having a lot of fun

How do you setup your robotic arm to grapple? KAS?

Was my bad, forum played tricks on tired eyes and @I downloaded the wrong version and replied to an old part of the thread I think. Works good now

Just to throw my voice in I'm having the same issues with the UI not showing and the IR button (and MJ) not being available via toolbar. I'm using Toolbar 1.7.0, what are other folks using? I'm gonna try rolling Toolbar back a few versions and see what that does. UPDATE: Doesn't seem to do much. I installed toolbar 1.7.0 and IR on a stock testbed and while the UI shows up okay and works, it still isn't showing enabling the IR button.

Okay. I should note that I don't use the avionics pack and that is likely significant. "Why?" You ask? I implemented a launch escape system that jettisons the crew compartment in an emergency (uses realchutes, perfectons and a modmanager file to add a decoupler to the bottom node) and the parachute is stowed in the nose. I mitigated this tonight in a test flight by adding a second reaction wheel (via modmanager) to the radome that matches the one in the avionics and compensates for the lack of avionics package. It works marginally better but it's still chasing as it comes down to within 0.5m/s (the tolerance I have set in MJ). My rendezvous flight plan is thus: -- Ascent guidance to 125km apoapsis heads down, let it get out of the atmosphere. -- Arm RCS and let it steer to the circularisation node (Auto-Warp OFF to give me time) -- Roll to heads-up and dump the ET -- Disarm the SSMEs (AG 5) -- Arm the OMS engines (AG 6) (they are set at whatever trim and speed they are by default) -- Disarm the flight surfaces (I hate them flapping about in orbit) -- Let MJ circularise the orbit using the OMS engines - this works great until it gets to about 1.5m/s on the node and then it reticle chases badly and never really resolves to less than 0.6-1.0m/s so I kill it. -- Open the bay doors -- Engage the Rendezous Autopilot and set the approach distance to 150m - The RDZ AP will go through the phasing and transfer orbits but, again, at around 1.5m/s stuff spins out of control wildly. - The real problem is the rendezvous approach. The fine adjustments here that are required to match speed and station keeping just don't work because it's wandering about so much. That's pretty-much where I got to. I manually fine-tuned the station approach with the RCS and ran out of Monopropellant (because reticle chasing was pissing it off all over the place). I am pretty patient with it, but I also know when it's really off on a doozy and not coming back Okay, I'll have a read of that too, as well as grabbing the latest dev of MJ. I think giving it 120 secs to sort itself out is patient? As I said above it consumed a lot of Mono propellant and wasn't winning the fight with the node. I think it's more likely the lack of torque you mentioned from not using the avionics? No. The issue is this. I used 2 docking ports (one in the bay and one on the module) mated together to hold the Habitat module in the bay. Because facing docking ports are forced apart on undocking, the ports threw the module backwards down the payload bay and it bounced as I did the ventral translation, thus it came out almost at 45-degrees. Not at all the fault of KSO, it's just the way docking ports work in KSP. It just makes these ops a bit tricky! I never got that far Watch this space. I am going to try something with Infernal Robotics that might make for a good alternative and work well with the SST.

A loosely associated question/plea for help: I have a problem. I am trying to fly a Habitat to orbit and dock it to my station. I have 2 issues: Firstly I'm using MechJeb 2.1.1 and the orbiter just reticle chases when it gets close to the m/s target. It's MechJeb's fault as my other craft do it a bit but I think the off-centre OMS thrust aggravates it BUT I'm aware it's been said multiple times that MechJeb compatibility is not guaranteed etc. Does anyone have a better suggestion for rendezvous and docking? Does ORDA work any better, for example? Any tips/tutorials on manually approaching the station from a half-decent rendezvous point? MechJeb will get me in the right ballpark but it can't do the fine work. P.S. If you want to just bash me for not being hardcore and doing it all by hand please don't waste the skin on your fingertips, I play the game my way, you play it your way, we can co-exist and be happy. Secondly, getting modules out of the payload bay and docking them to the station. How? I know the SST is designed for shunting and parking modules. That's grand. The problem I have is that if I release the docking port holding the module inside the cargo bay it gives the modules all sorts of momentum in silly directions. If I free-float a module in the bay then back the shuttle off using RCS the module spins, making docking to it to shunt it around impossible. Any practical tips, suggestions or pointing out of me being stupid would be appreciated. I really like KIOS and the station parts. The whole thing looks awesome and work super-well. Thanks, guys

This is amazing! Totally loving it

Awesome stuff

I just changed my mind about using the station parts. I'm sorry I ever doubted you

Only personal opinion, but I am sorry to say that if your station parts are only 1.5m I won't use them. Sumghai's FusTek Expansion modules or the new PorkWorks inflatable modules are more like the correct size I think. Look at a diagram of the ISS and Mir modules and they are way bigger than that. Even when rescaled to a Kerbal and remove some of the spaciousness they'd be closer to 2m than 1.5m. You have to remember they aren't just hollow cans, they are double skinned then have computer and life support equipment between the inner and outer walls. While I know KSP isn't ultra-realistic I still like things to be in proportion somewhat. I just think you are on the wrong track with the station parts. I was hoping you'd think outside the box (bay?) a little and do something neat like team up with PorkWorks and build some inflatable stuff that packed down to KSO payload bay size and inflated to a decent 2-2.5m modules on orbit. I'll still use the shuttle, for sure, it's beautifully made and a great piece of work, but probably just as a crew and resupply vessel using KAS modules. As for stuff that WILL fit, I'll echo other people's calls for booster rocket blocks for satellites that fit in there snugly and can boot a satellite to a GTO or interplanetary orbit from LKO. Some kind of cool SpaceLab fitment for the bay that has integrated science would also be neat. Also I like the idea of a longer docking module, that is going to be useful. Power module will be handy too. Oh, Habitat modules don't have to be 'Fluff' parts. 'Living' science is a big part of space science, you could include science observations about exercise and body changes in orbit

That'd be great. Some of the mods in the list are updating so fast it's hard to keep up with them (Toolbar updated *again* since your revision, I notice!)

I came up with something (probably crazy) that'd make a great addition to the shuttle and make it safer (we hate losing Kerbals, the legal costs are very expensive!) by adding a valid 'worst case' launch abort system for stack and rentry/landing failures. I have had a play with the config and MM and this what I came up with: @PART[commandkso] { MODULE { name = ModuleDecouple ejectionForce = 500 explosiveNodeID = bottom } } This adds a decoupler to the 'bottom' of the command module that will split it from the rest of the Shuttle in an emergency. Obviously, it is something you need to be careful with as if you are working okay and flying you don't want to set it off by accident. What it doesn't do is throw the command module clear of the rest of the shuttle. It needs some wee SRBs to throw it away from the shuttle. It also needs a parachute to land safely, obviously. It's also only something you can fire inside the atmosphere and also at low-ish speed so as to avoid atmospheric heating, which would destroy the capsule in real terms. Here's a wee flight test using some sepratrons and a pair of chutes I borrowed from NovaPunch2: It was only an idea based around something I read in a Shuttle astronaut's biography while discussing Challenger. Something like that would have arguably given the crew a much better chance of survival. It's just an idea nad you are free to ignore it and call me crazy

I have the Throttle Control Avionics (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67270-Throttle-Controlled-Avionics-1-1-0-23) loaded that balances engine throttle against the ASAS to stop spins etc. It works surprisingly well with the shuttle in all stages.

Oh, wow, I've been waiting... how long... I forget now... for a mod like this to crop up, and with IVAs and everything. Looks excellent, definitely gonna give it a go!

You're a goddamned hero, helldiver, thank you. I can use ProcFairings for now so don't panic Any chance of a conical one (ala NASA) so we can fly it around on the back of a plane too, or am I REALLY pushing my luck too far? I don't use the full engine setup when I'm launching from an in-line stack so I just use the attach point closest to the centre on the back engine mount, with 4 OMS engines around it, if that helps any Seeing as it doesn't like landing with fuel left in the tank, a dump valve would be a good addition, too. I currently use the one from the Smart Parts kist, but I'm pretty sure the module could be copied to the engines? I'll give it a try and report back.

Is there any chance you can keep the download manifest outside the jar file so we can update it without you having to re-write the Java app? Some mods are updated regularely and are no long available at the URLs you have used thus the bundler fails. If we could edit the URL or you supply a fresh download locations file every so often it'd be much more practical I think

Another minor nigglem, the stock craft file is missing 2 seperatrons on the left hand LRB. I decided to goof about a bit and found it flies really well like this! EDIT: YES! This, it'd work even better on top of a Jupiter booster

Okay, I've played with it and I like it a lot, it is the only shuttle mod I've used in .22/.23 that works well. Launches and flies pretty well (in spite of my cack-handed piloting) and looks amazing. I had a lingering issue, though. I know it's only supposed to be stubby and a 'Kerbalised' version of the concept but it's frustratingly *just* too small to take a decent 2.5m module in the payload bay. IT's great for launching small stuff but the payload bay will become pointless if you want to use it with a space station, which is a shame, as it's a wonderful mod and I'd LOVE to use it for station construction.

Wow, I really need ot check the forums more often, missed this and really regret it! It looks amazing

It's probably not, it's likely the Spaceport eating it. I added a link in my sig for something for people to try that fixed that for me. Maybe the author would be willing to upload it to MediaFire as well in the man time?

It helps to put the seperatrons in the centre of mass of the booster so it doesn't twist in or out and crush the central core booster. Mine are about in line with the centre of the centre of the decouplers, 2 per external booster and it seems to work for me. I posted a .craft file int he thread a few posts back with that setup in for people to try. I can't guaranteee the stageing and stuff is set right in the .craft file though, and I've rebuilt it since.